Russia's 'Foreign Agent' Law Targets Journalists, Activists, Even Ordinary Citizens
The recently expanded law says that freelance journalists, YouTube bloggers and practically anyone else who receives money from abroad and voices a political opinion can be considered a foreign agent.
MOSCOW â Darya Apakhonchich never considered herself a foreign agent.
She taught Russian to refugees in her hometown, St. Petersburg, and took part in street performances against militarism and violence against women. The activism of Apakhonchich's art group was quirky and local, and their performances typically got a couple of hundred views on YouTube.
"It's not a crime to teach Russian as a foreign language and get paid for it," Apakhonchich says. "And it's not a crime to be engaged in activism and go to demonstrations, especially in view of the Russian constitution."
But the Russian authorities have treated her as if she were a criminal.
